"Those of us who had the opportunity to work for Mr. Ford knew of his unyielding passion for his family, the Lions and the city of Detroit.

"His leadership, integrity, kindness, humility and good humor were matched only by his desire to bring a Super Bowl championship to the Lions and to our community. Each of us in the organization will continue to relentlessly pursue that goal in his honor."

This week also marked the start of free agency.

While the Lions didn't make as big of a splash as they did last year, with the signing of Reggie Bush, Jason Jonesand Glover Quin, they did begin with filling immediate needs.